


Branded Mutt

by HellishSam



Category: Star Stable
Genre: Wild West AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 21:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17108354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellishSam/pseuds/HellishSam
Summary: Part of Daine's WWAU backstory, when he was taken by the Scarlet Soldiers and branded





	Branded Mutt

Grief is what hit Daine first when he had awoken out of his daze. He knew there was no way his family had lived, he knew for a fact his father was dead. The boy had seen his clotting body with his own innocent, wide eyes. Trying to escape had been a huge mistake. He killed his whole family and gotten himself into trouble. Before he could start crying, he noticed he was cuffed to bars behind him. He couldn’t lift himself. 

When he tried, he was shoved back down with a rough kick. A sharp yelp escaped him and soon he was struck across the face with what felt like a belt. Daine’s wide eyes snapped open and took in the men around him. The same men who had robbed him. The same men who- no, no they didn’t kill his family. It was Daine’s stupid decision that did. They warned him not to run or speak a word. They would have been fine if he stayed and stayed quiet. He was only seventeen years of age. He didn’t know what was happening or going on. Tears streamed down his face as his bright gold hinted eyes looked around. Everything was moving so fast, too fast for him.

Laughter erupted around him.

“Seems like the baby’s gonna sob!”

“He barely looks a day above the age of twelve.”

“Maybe we should have kept the older one alive. Maybe he could have handled this better.”

They were talking about him. Daine didn’t even notice the tears beginning to stream down his face. What had he gotten himself into? What was even going on? To clear the tears away, he sniffling a little. Though the only thing that filled his lungs was the thick, choking smell of smoke. Letting out a cough, He looked around in fear and suddenly his eyes landed on a bright light. No, it wasn’t a light. It was fire. There was a blacksmith there heating something up. It looked like an iron poker. Soon the smith looked up, nodding, and the men around Daine went to him, ripping his shirt away and holding him down. Panic surged through Daine as the smith pulled the iron out. It was a horse brander. And it was going to be used on him.

The end was so hot it was white. He examined quickly as it had a symbol on. The boy began to struggle against the men holding him down, yelling a few protests. He started to scream as the smith came closer. Daine managed to kick free for a second but it didn’t last for long. Another lash of a belt and kick to the side had him down yet again.

Daine still kept protesting, pathetic whines, like a dog, escaped him. Soon those protests turned into one long, blood curdling scream as the hot iron pressed into his side. The iron was so hot, Daine could feel it burn his ribs. The pain was so terrible, there were no tears. Only the strain of his vocal cords, lungs, and the tense of his muscles.

The boy let out a few strangled breaths as he found the strength somehow to kick one of the men holding him down and to hit another in the nose rather hard. Daine was too tired and too pained to protest when a cloth was wrapped around his mouth and tied behind his head, catching a few of his raven colored hair strands. The pain was now settling in, festering like a rotting wound. 

Daine had no idea how much time has passed but the burn was starting to blister. He could hear the group start to laugh again. Though now he didn’t have the energy to be angry. Tears now broke and streamed down his face as fast as a river. Though he still didn’t make a sound.

Daniel could have sworn his body had almost lit aflame. The tears that now marked his face felt cold against his burning skin. Of course the burn on his side hurt a lot more. It stung with a venom he couldn’t describe. Maybe if he just didn’t talk, he’d be fine. Yes, if he didn’t speak, the pain would stop. He was only hurting because of what he spoke and did. All of this was his fault.

Daine was then yanked to his feet as the men around him smiled. “You’re one of us now, son.” One whispered in his ear. Daine felt dead to the world, he didn't understand why he felt this way. Maybe it was guilt, maybe he’d given up. Even as the rag was roughly ripped away from his face, he still didn’t even yelp.

“So, what do we call you, kid?”

Daine didn’t answer. His lips were sealed like wax.

They then asked again. “So. What do we call you. Kid?”

Again, the boy didn’t answer. He felt nothing, he didn’t care if they beat him. Daine deserved to feel the pain. It was his fault for all of this anyway.

“I say we call him Mutt. He’s cowardly enough!” One called from the back of the crowd. The tall man next to him smirked, a gold tooth in his mouth sparkling.

“Mutt, sounds about right for a little bastard like this.” The man’s smile only widened as Daine seemed to glare at him. Those bright gold eyes seemed to have dimmed to a sad sunset orange. The kid was a broken soul now. He was nothing but a mongrel branded for his sins.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the man with the gold tooth put a tough arm around him. “You’re one of us now, in our little band of misfits. One of our little Scarlet Soldiers.” So that’s what they were called. It had a nice ring to it. Daine looked at the mark on himself. It had an S on each side of a star. It was almost beautiful in a way. Maybe he could get used to this. His ways of not speaking were already working, he was no longer struck with a belt or hot iron. 

Maybe he’d be safe here. In his family of misfits and sinners. Soon he was led away by the man with the gold tooth. Little did Daine know what was going to happen to him in the years to follow. He was a boy right now, but he would surely grow into man rather quickly. Too quickly.


End file.
